Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Make It! Mid-Century Modern

I've always been a DIY kind of gal but living in a small cramped apartment isn't the ideal place for getting crafty. One of the things I'm most looking forward to when I move into my new home, is finally having the space I need to work on arts and crafts projects.

Recently I came across a great online DIY design community called Curbly where you can share pictures, ideas and information about your own DIY projects. Curbly inspires creativity and encourages people to bring out the best in their own homes and "love where they live."

Recently Curbly started to publish their own series of eBooks or manuals simply called "Make It!" and the first book in the series is devoted to mid-century modern design.

"Make It! Mid-Century Modern" contains 76 pages of easy to follow step-by-step instructions for mid-century DIY projects that anyone can make at home. Some of the projects include a Mondrian inspired throw pillow, an Alexander Calder style mobile and your very own George Nelson influenced Ball Clock. The book provides background information on all of the designers it covers and the instructions are accompanied by eye-catching full-color photos.

Making things for your home can be an extremely rewarding experience and it also gives you the opportunity to express your individuality. You can customize any of the designs featured in "Make It! Mid-Century Modern" by selecting your own paint colors, fabrics, etc. Your only limitation is your imagination.

This week Curbly is giving away free copies of "Make It! Mid-Century Modern" to five lucky winners. If you'd like to try and win yourself a copy of this terrific book all you have to do is become a fan of Curbly's Facebook Page and RSVP as "attending" to the giveaway event they're currently hosting on Facebook. The contest ends at 11:59pm on Sunday, January 31st and they plan to announce the winners first thing Monday morning. You can find more information about the giveaway at Curbly's Facebook page.

Copies of "Make It! Mid-Century Modern" can also be purchased directly from Curbly. A PDF download of the eBook is available for $9.99 or you can order a printed version of the book for $18.00.

Even though Curbly's Mid-Century Modern Month is coming to an end soon the site continues to be a great resource for seasoned as well as inexperienced do-it-yourself enthusiasts who are looking for inspiration and new ideas. Their blog is updated regularly and if you become a member of the Curbly community you can take full advantage of everything the site has to offer.

2 comments:

Props on your blog! Very original. I'm into Mid-century art as well. Check out my blog when you get the chance: www.strangehero.com Charley harper is pretty sweet as well. He's making art for Habitat Skateboards.

About Mid-Century Living

Welcome to Mid-Century Living! My name is Kimberly and I'm a longtime admirer of mid-century design. My husband and I recently bought our first home and it's a beautiful old custom built 1954 atomic ranch house in Napa, CA. I plan to share my adventures in home restoration and remodeling as well as various decorating tips, gardening and landscaping ideas, recipes and anything else that falls under the banner of "Mid-Century" or "Living." I'll also be writing about local issues and various things that interest me as a new home owner. I hope you'll enjoy your stop here!